Manchester United legend Andy Cole has been inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame alongside former Chelsea captain John Terry.
The competition’s fourth-highest goalscorer becomes the seventh former Red Devil to be awarded the honour alongside David Beckham, Eric Cantona, Rio Ferdinand, Roy Keane, Wayne Rooney, Paul Scholes and Peter Schmeichel.
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Legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson is also among the coveted names to be recognised by the Premier League, taking the total United Hall of Fame contingent to eight.
Cole and Terry join ex-Arsenal and Blues defender Ashley Cole as the second and third inductees in 2024 and 23rd and 24th picks overall since its induction in 2021.
🌟 Andrew Cole is a @PremierLeague Hall of Famer 🌟#MUFC || #PLHALLOFFAME PIC.TWITTER.COM/OGJEPBZQGZ
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) APRIL 22, 2024
The 52-year-old Treble winner made 195 Premier League appearances for United, scoring 93 times between 1994 and 2002.
Speaking after being awarded a special medallion, he said: “I’m proud of everything I’ve achieved in football, which is thanks to my family, my coaches and my team-mates.
“Being inducted into the Hall of Fame makes me very proud.
“Football is a game of ups and downs, but I enjoyed every single minute of my career.
“The reason you play football and compete at the highest level is to win major honours.
“It was so, so special for me to win so many trophies and five Premier Leagues.
“To get my first one was crazy and after that I just wanted more.”
Terry recognised as a Premier League great
Chelsea’s iconic defender Terry was the other recognised figure and the 43-year-old still holds the record for most clean sheets as a defender in the competition with 214.
He joins Ashley Cole, Petr Cech, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba as former Blues to be inducted.
Our captain, leader and legend. He was one of the greatest defenders of his generation, and played an integral part of Chelsea’s most historic seasons. Congratulations on your recognition! 🫡💙 PIC.TWITTER.COM/7UZEVZPMMX
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) APRIL 22, 2024
The five-time Premier League winner is the highest-scoring defender in the league’s history with 41 goals and remains a cult hero at Stamford Bridge.
He said: “I’m very grateful to have been voted into the Premier League Hall of Fame.
“I’m a player that certainly gave my all whenever I stepped out on the pitch and to be recognised in this way makes me really proud.
“I was lucky to share a dressing room with so many top players. To captain a club like Chelsea and achieve what we did as a team is so special to me.
“The Premier League is the best league in the world, which every player hopes to play in, and I’m very proud to have won it five times.”
